DARPA Launches RAPIID Program to Advance Shelf-Stable Blood Analogs

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) recently announced a new program to accelerate the development and deployment of shelf-stable blood analog products for use in military and austere care settings.

The Resuscitation and Prevention of Ischemia-Induced Dysfunction (RAPIID) Program builds on DARPA's earlier Fieldable Solutions for Hemorrhage with bio-Artificial Resuscitation Products (FSHARP) Program, which supported research into synthetic products designed to replicate key functions of whole blood, including oxygen delivery, hemostatic support and restoration of circulating volume.

RAPIID aims to advance these products through clinical trials, regulatory approval, manufacturing scale-up and the development of ruggedized fielding technologies, with the goal of delivering a fully Food and Drug Administration-authorized, deployable system as early as fiscal year 2029.

The 36-month program will consist of two phases. The first phase will focus on demonstrating preclinical safety and efficacy and establishing Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP)-ready manufacturing plans. The second phase will focus on early-stage clinical trials and commercialization efforts.

DARPA is currently seeking proposals for two of the program’s technical areas: individual blood analog component development, including shelf-stable oxygen carriers, platelet-derived products and dried plasma, and fielding technologies development. The latter will focus on developing the delivery formats and point-of-care diagnostics required for far-forward use, along with ruggedized packaging and diagnostic devices for transfusion decision-making at the point of care.

Additional information is available in the DARPA solicitation notice.